September 26th, 2011
"We could never learn to be brave and patient, if there were only joy in the world."
—Helen Keller
Welcome to the latest installment of the Grub Street Rag, a newsletter of the Boston literary scene brought to you every Monday from the Fluffernutter Addicts Anonymous meeting at Grub Street's world headquarters. As always, if you are receiving this email in horror, please advance to the bottom of the page to unsubscribe yourself.
Mingle, nosh, clink glasses and enjoy readings by three fantastic authors! Our annual fall gala, An Evening With Grub Street, is coming up on October 25th at 7pm, and features readings by Gregory Maguire, Anita Shreve and Tayari Jones. The event takes place at Mohr & McPherson gallery, and all proceeds benefit Grub Street's programming and outreach. Tickets are complimentary for members of the Directors' Circle, and can also be purchased online. Hope to see you there!
There's a whole new round of Grub workshops starting the week of October 10th. Sign up today to reserve your spot. Classes with space available include:
Are you a writer who likes to paint or do photography? Or a photographer or painter who wants to be a writer? Either way, we have two great volunteer opportunities at our fall fundaiser, An Evening With Grub Street, on October 25th. We're looking for two talented individuals to help us with some top-secret activities: a photographer with experience doing portraits and the ability to make people look fabulous and glamourous, and a painter with good handwriting and an interest in typography. We'd be happy to trade two Grub Street workshops in exchange for your hard work. Please email Sean Van Deuren at sean@grubstreet.org for more details.
Cheers,
Whitney, Sonya, Eve, Chris, Rowan and Sean
The P.S. There are a lot of great seminars going on this Thursday and next Thursday--check out all the details below or on our website!
In addition to our ongoing workshops, Grub Street offers numerous writing-related events around town. See our website for a long-term view of all we do.
SEMINAR: Thursday, September 29th, 6:30-9:30pm, Radical Disclosure (or Can I Really Write That About My Mother-in-Law?)
Every writer faces a basis decision at the keyboard: how much of my own life, and which parts, can I disclose. Will my friends and family recognize themselves. Will they disapprove. How do we, as writers, find the balance between their right to privacy and our right to make art? This discussion, which applies both to fiction and non-fiction, would use examples from folks such as Lorrie Moore, Joyce Carol Oates, Shalom Auslander as a point of departure.
Instructor: Steve Almond, who has a great new book trailer up for his new short story collection, God Bless America
$65/ $50 members, Grub Street HQ. Register Now. Not a member? Become a Grubbie today!
SEMINAR: Thursday, September 29th, 6:30-9:30pm, Poetry Jam
Do you want to experiment with writing poetry? Are you looking to get back to those poems you wrote a while ago? Are you in a rut with your writing and in need of a jumpstart to find a fresh approach? Or are you a prose writer who needs to cross train by flexing some poetry muscles? Poets of all levels are welcome in this one-night workshop in which we'll experiment with various poetry games, collaborations, and exercises. You'll leave with some drafts of poems and with a toolbox of writing exercises to help you keep writing on your own. Be prepared to write, collaborate, and have fun.
Instructor: Rebecca Morgan Frank
$65/ $50 members, Grub Street HQ. Register Now. Not a member? Become a Grubbie today!
SEMINAR: Thursday, September 29th, 6:30-9:30pm, Subtext: From Facts to Truth
We're all familiar with the situational truth of stories -- who, what, where, when. But how do you get to the real truth? How do you render scenes and events to make emotion felt, transcending the basics of plot? How do you make the unspoken, and the unspeakable, course and glimmer through? In readings, exercises, and conversation, this workshop will help you -- as both writer and reader -- understand how the most resonant stories weave in emotion with subtext and undertones, creating works that haunt and shimmer and hum with something more than plot alone.
Instructor: Christina McCarroll
$65/ $50 members, Grub Street HQ. Register Now. Not a member? Become a Grubbie today!
SEMINAR: Thursday, September 29th, 6:30-9:30pm, Give That Character a Past! Using Anecdotes to Develop Characters
A well-deployed anecdote, even if incidental to the overall plot of your story or memoir, can help define your characters in action and give them a reality and history that extends beyond the page. We’ll look closely at examples of character definition through anecdote in both memoir and fiction, and will practice brainstorming and writing anecdotes that will help define our own characters in vivid detail.
Instructor: Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich
$65/ $50 members, Grub Street HQ. Register Now. Not a member? Become a Grubbie today!
SEMINAR: Thursday, September 29th, 6:30-9:30pm, The Messy Essay
Don't have time to take Six Weeks, Six Essays? Come to this evening workshop where we'll tackle the joys and pitfalls of essay writing. The first half of the course will be spent looking at the essay form and dissecting a few essays to see what makes them tick. Next, we'll take a look at our own essay attempts, talk about the challenges that come up when trying to structure the essay, and discuss tools and ideas to help take your work-in-progress or ideas to the next level. Bring an essay you are working on, or just your ideas.
Instructor: Amy Yelin
$65/ $50 members, Grub Street HQ. Register Now. Not a member? Become a Grubbie today!
TEENS: Friday, September 30th, 3:30-4:30pm, Storytelling: Do You Have a Great Idea?
Do you want to become a storyteller? Whether you want to write films, TV or books, make your own short movies or even create a comic, your idea is the key to success. Learn what makes a great idea – one that hooks people and makes them want to know more – and how to tell when you’ve found one.
This session is for writers aged 13-18 years only.
Instructor: Barri Evins
FREE, Grub Street HQ. Register Now.
SEMINAR: Thursday, October 6th, 6:30-9:30pm, Promoting the Nonfiction Book
If you're about to publish a nonfiction book, you've probably got questions about how to best publicize it, and you’re probably wondering how soon to begin your PR campaign, and which ideas work best. Whether you have a big or small publisher, or chose self-publishing, this seminar will outline both traditional and non-traditional methods to identify, reach and build a target audience in various potential book-buying communities. We'll discuss planning and executing a master timeline for book promotion; setting up a promotional budget; creating a book tour (and not just at bookstores but using non-traditional venues); brainstorming special contests, promotions and giveaways unique to your book; establishing yourself as an expert and tying in your book to current events; writing tie-in op-eds and commentaries; pitching yourself to traditional media like print, TV and radio; creating a website and DIY book trailer; and jumping on social media to develop a fan base and create buzz. We'll also look at what your publisher should do and what you can do, and the problems that self-publishing creates (and how to work around them). Come with questions.
Instructor: Ethan Gilsdorf
$65/ $50 members, Grub Street HQ. Register Now. Not a member? Become a Grubbie today!
SEMINAR: Thursday, October 6th, 6:30-9:30pm, Social Media for Writers
You know you should be tweeting, but you don’t know where to start. You’re not even sure how Twitter – or the many other social networking sites out there – will help your writing career (let alone your craft). In this very practical and generative seminar, literary agent Lauren MacLeod will guide you through the world of social media and explain how and why it works for aspiring, emerging and established writers. If you don’t have a Twitter account yet, you’ll sign up for one this very night with Lauren’s help; by the end of the night, everyone will have tweeted something and gained at least 12 followers. You will come away empowered with the “do’s and don’ts” of social media and gain some understanding not just of how to do it, but how to do it well. If you're able, please bring a laptop or an iPad to class.
Instructor: Lauren E. MacLeod
$65/ $50 members, Grub Street HQ. Register Now. Not a member? Become a Grubbie today!
SEMINAR: Thursday, October 6th, 6:30-9:30pm, Surviving the Slush Pile
Ever wonder what happens after you click submit and your story is sent through cyberspace to a literary magazine? This course, led by a journal editor and author, will take you through the maze of the submissions process from submissions peccadilloes to editorial hallelujahs. We’ll take a close look at opening lines and final paragraphs through the lens of narrative; and we’ll also talk about cover letters, bios, and story format. Relying on exercises and prompts, our focus in the second half will be on stirring up our creative minds and sending you – and your work, into the world of publication.
Instructor: Catherine Parnell
$65/ $50 members, Grub Street HQ. Register Now. Not a member? Become a Grubbie today!
SEMINAR: Thursday, October 6th, 6:30-9:30pm, Poetry for Prose Writers
Even if you have never written a line of poetry, and never intend to, your writing can benefit from many of the techniques regularly employed by poets: attention to detail, word choice, elevated language, and most of all, concision. We will read work by poets including Terrance Hayes, Jim Daniels, and Margaret Gibson, and do prose writing exercises based on poems. You will come away with a new sense of how to structure other kinds of writing, from short stories to blog posts.
Instructor: Clara Silverstein
$65/ $50 members, Grub Street HQ. Register Now. Not a member? Become a Grubbie today!
SEMINAR: Thursday, October 6th, 6:30-9:30pm, Writing Non-Fiction For a Trade Audience
Many scholars, scientists, naturalists, and even journalists dream of writing for a trade audience. But the leap from writing for your professional peers to writing for the public can be daunting. How do you learn to translate your research into an engaging story? What are the elements of a winning non-fiction book? How do you craft a proposal that will engage agents and editors? How can you learn to weave the elements of fiction – character, plot, suspense – into non-fiction. This session will cover some of the factors that can make almost any subject interesting to non-specialists. Please be prepared to read or give a very short one-page pitch about your work.
Instructor: Wendy Strothman
Level: Advanced
$65/ $50 members, Grub Street HQ. Register Now. Not a member? Become a Grubbie today!
WEEKEND WORKSHOP: Saturday, October 8th, 10:00am-5:00pm, Telling the Story: Perspective, Narration and Imagination
When point of view is done well, it evaporates into the background, allowing the reader to be enraptured by the story. But when point of view is done poorly, there’s nothing more destructive. In this seminar, we’ll tackle the strengths and weaknesses of various perspectives, determining which one best fits your story, and how to make the most of it. Additionally, we’ll illuminate broader issues of narration such as how to balance scene and summary, the role a good narrator plays, and the power of using your point of view character’s imagination.
Instructor: Cam Terwilliger
$115/$95 members, Grub Street HQ. Register Now. Not a member? Become a Grubbie today!
WEEKEND WORKSHOP: Saturday, October 8th, 10:00am-5:00pm, Getting Published: An Editor’s Guided Tour
Get an editor’s tips on submitting your work, going through the editing process, trends in publishing, and recommendations about where to send. We will focus first on demystifying the inner workings of magazines—including the life cycle of a manuscript and what editors love—and the contemporary publishing landscape: what magazines are looking for, the various types of magazines, online versus print publication, the editing process itself, and how to win an editor over. Next, we’ll move on to preparing you to successfully submit your fiction, essays, and poetry for publication. The second half of the day will involve hands-on work on your cover letters and poetry or prose. You will leave with a professional cover letter, critiqued opening pages, and a list of ten journals to which to submit.
Please bring a cover letter and set of poems or first three pages of an essay or story.
Instructor: Cara Blue Adams
$115/$95 members, Grub Street HQ. Register Now. Not a member? Become a Grubbie today!
FREE LUNCHTIME WRITING: Wednesday, October 12th, 12:30-1:15pm, Brown Bag Lunch Series
Do you work downtown and want to fit some writing into your day? Or do you have a schedule that gives you free afternoons instead of evenings? Bring your lunch and come on over to Grub Street for a Brown Bag Writing Workshop – a series recently profiled in the Boston Globe. For 45 minutes, you’ll meet fellow writers and get your creative juices flowing with some cool writing exercises. Led by one of our award-winning instructors or ambassadors. Best of all, you’ll leave lunch with some new ideas to ponder for the rest of your day, and beyond. No need to RSVP-- just come!
Be sure to check out our website for a comprehensive view of upcoming events.
Grub Street wants to promote YOU! Please send events for consideration to whitney@grubstreet.org. Bonus points and undying gratitude for submitting your event info in the same format as the events below. Our apologies in advance if we cannot fit you in. Please note that we do the best we can to evaluate requests, and do privilege requests from members, but cannot be held responsible for the quality of these events and programs or the legitimacy of contests. We expect that readers will do their own due diligence before sending their work or their money to any individual or organization.
--BREAKFAST: Tuesday, October 11th, 9:45am, Coffee With The Authors hosted by Buttonwood Books & Toys
Enjoy a continental breakfast while three contemporary authors discuss their latest work. Featured authors are Jennifer Haigh for Faith, Bruce Irving for New England Icons and Lily Tuck for I Married You for Happiness. Haigh is a bestselling novelist whose previous works include The Condition, Baker Towers, and Mrs. Kimble which won the Pen/Hemingway Award for debut fiction. Irving is an Emmy-award-producer who worked on “This Old House” for seventeen years before starting his own consulting business. Tuck is the author of four previous novels, a biography and a collection of short stories. She won the 2004 National Book Award for her novel The News from Paraguay. Reservations and tickets ($16 per person) are required. Please call Buttonwood at 1-781-383-2665 to reserve or order a signed copy if unable to attend.
--VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY: Teen Voices Editorial Mentor
Teen Voices supports and educates teen girls to amplify their voices and create social change through media.
Editorial Mentor responsibilities:
Meet with the teens twice a week for 2 hours at a time. Mentoring can take place Mondays through Thursdays between the hours of 3:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. depending on individual availability (i.e. Mondays & Wednesdays, 3:30 – 5:30); Help your teens work through the editorial process from an initial proposal to a final edit (including researching, writing, editing, and more editing); Develop headlines, sidebars, quizzes, artwork ideas, and conduct interviews necessary for your chosen topic; Be an open and honest role model for teens. Mentor Orientation will be held at the Teen Voices office on Friday, Sept. 30 from 5 p.m. – 9 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 1 from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Mentoring begins the week of Monday, October 17. More info available at http://www.teenvoices.com.
--PROMOTE YOUR BOOK...AND HELP GRUB STREET!
The Review Review, a website that reviews literary magazines, is now featuring classified ads for books, blogs, websites, editorial services, writing workshops and more. Throughout the month of October, 10% of all ad proceeds will go to the Grub Street Scholarship Fund, which offers financial assistance to writers hoping to take one of Grub's amazing workshops and seminars. For more information, visit www.TheReviewReview.net or email Becky at 99review@gmail.com.
--VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY: Grub Street at the Boston Book Festival
The Boston Book Festival is looking for volunteers to work at Grub Street workshop sessions. Potential volunteers should e-mail Nina Rogowsky (nina@bostonbookfest.org), indicating that they want to work at Grub Street workshops at the BBF. They will work a single 4-hour shift at the BBF, and will be required to attend a single 2-hour BBF volunteer training. These are scheduled for 6-8pm on October 3, 4, 5, and 6 and 12-2pm on October 4.
--CALL TO POETS:
Poetry and Prose Program at Boston City Hall
In honor of the diverse and creative village we call Boston, the Mayor’s Office of Arts, Tourism & Special Events will display poems and prose excerpts on the walls of City Hall. Poets and writers that reside or work in Boston are invited to send in their work to help celebrate the city in prose and poetry and to remind people what a culturally exciting city Boston is to live and work in.
DEADLINE: November 18, 2011.
PLEASE SUBMIT THE FOLLOWING: 3 poems or excerpts (a maximum of 200 words per poem or excerpt), Resume or brief description of your writing experiences, One-paragraph summary about the type of work you are presenting.
Electronic submissions are encouraged; please email them to john.crowley@cityofboston.gov.
Welcome to the end of the e-mail, where like wandering unannounced into a séance, we offer you the chance to win a prize. Why did Orwell choose Nineteen Eighty Four as the year and title of his novel? Email your answer to whitney@grubstreet.org. The first correct respondent wins a Starbucks gift card for a coffee treat.
Last's week's trivia: When Gertrude Stein lay dying, she asked Alice B. Toklas, "What is the answer?" When Toklas, overcome with grief, didn't respond, Stein asked again: "In that case, what is the question?" Winner: Elizabeth Lombard.
